Maidenhead - Paddington weekday mornings... how busy are they?

[NightatLaira]

Was just wondering if someone more familiar with this line than I could shed some light on what the journey in is like on this route on the following services:

0741 (slow)
0749 (slow)
0800 (fast)
0804 (fast)

How busy are these trains?
How likely is it to get a seat joining at Maidenhead?
Is there ever a trolley available?
Are they often delayed? (I know this is a loaded question)
Are they DOO?

I'm trying to help a friend out who works in London and is considering moving his family out to Berkshire. He's try to get an idea of what the commute in will be like...

 

[E16 Cyclist]

Here's a link to a First Great Western forum which has lots of posts regarding their services to/from Maidenhead

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/

 

[Twoonthebuzzer]

To put it bluntly;

Very busy

 

[DeskJonny]

I've been using the 8:00 fast service from Maidenhead to Paddington twice a week since May.
If you stand at the right spot on the platform you are pretty much guaranteed to get a seat. The service is pretty reliable, perhaps one cancelation or delay per month. The service is provided by an InterCity 125 and only takes 20 mins to Paddington.
No sign of a trolley service.

 

[Flamingo]

I've been using the 8:00 fast service from Maidenhead to Paddington twice a week since May.
If you stand at the right spot on the platform you are pretty much guaranteed to get a seat. The service is pretty reliable, perhaps one cancelation or delay per month. The service is provided by an InterCity 125 and only takes 20 mins to Paddington.
No sign of a trolley service.

If it's a 125 there will be the express cafe in F, but that will be closing very soon after Maidenhead, plus it is very busy with lots of people standing around the buffet.

 

[The Ham]

Don't forget that in 2017 Crossrail will be running (taking 37 minutes to Paddington according to their website). This will enable faster travel times to central London locations (having removed the need to change). This will either a) make it easier to get a seat on the GW services or b) make it quicker for your friend to get to work (depending on where they work)

The only possible down side is that will GW services still call at Maidenhead if/when Crossrail extends to Reading?

 

[jopsuk]

With crossrail, the trains should also be more frequent and will be (much) higher capacity- though seating will be "metro" style I think?

 

[Deerfold]

Don't forget that in 2017 Crossrail will be running (taking 37 minutes to Paddington according to their website). This will enable faster travel times to central London locations (having removed the need to change). This will either a) make it easier to get a seat on the GW services or b) make it quicker for your friend to get to work (depending on where they work)

The only possible down side is that will GW services still call at Maidenhead if/when Crossrail extends to Reading?

Crossrail is supposed to replace most of the local services from Maidenhead - they will stop everywhere though (so don't expect many long distance travellers to transfer to them unless the Crossrail trains are likely to be packed at Paddington - changing there is unlikely to take the extra 15 minutes or so that the rossrail trains will). Unless the destination station in actually on Crossrail it may be no faster to get there from Maidenhead.

Crossrail will not be high frequency from Maidenhead. I'd expect the long distance services to continue to call there, if only to enable people to transfer to Crossrail for stops between there and Paddington.

Expect 4 trains an hour from Maidenhead in the peak - http://www.crossrail.co.uk/railway/train-service/timetabling
As they will stop at all stations the average time into Paddington will rise from some stations, though those will mostly get a higher frequency of service.